The current article examines whether international criminal tribunals (ICT) can be regarded as actors of international relations, which trigger domestic policy changes in countries under their jurisdiction. Drawing on the concepts of ‘third party enforcement’ and ‘credible commitment’ theory, the study examines ICT cases during which an ICT carried out investigations and prosecutions against the will of the respective sitting government. Based on field research from seven states and three tribunals, the authors present some counterintuitive conclusions. Limited institutional reforms did take place; they can at least partly be attributed to ICT decisions and they proved more sustainable in autocratic states than in some democratic ones. Independence from the organizations and states which created the tribunals does not always help tribunals to carry out their mission; it rather strengthens their actorness and influence if they enjoy their founders’ strong support but keep distance to the countries in which they investigate
Journal Article Type
Article
Acceptance Date
Mar 18, 2025
Deposit Date
Feb 8, 2025
Print ISSN
1567-536X
Electronic ISSN
1571-8123
Publisher
Brill Academic Publishers
Peer Reviewed
Peer Reviewed
Keywords
International Criminal Justice, International Criminal Tribunals, Rwanda, Sudan, Kenya, Yugoslavia, Libya, International Relations
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